Level 3 Somatic Movement Dance Therapy Professional Training Course 2028
11th March 2028 @ 10:00 am - 22nd October 2028 @ 5:00 pm
£2395
Connection to Body, Breath, Earth & Community
Become a Professional Somatic Movement Dance Therapist. The Route to Registration.
Become a Professional Somatic Movement Dance Therapist. The Route to Registration.
Level 3: Accredited 300-Hour Hybrid Training | Online & In-Person Cornwall. Year 2 of the Professional Practice Pathway.
Certified by the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM) · In association with The Association for Somatic Movement Dance Therapies UK & Éire (UKSMDT)
This course is the final step on a structured 500 hour professional pathway to becoming eligible to apply for registered status as a Somatic Movement Dance Therapist.
About this course
Level 3 focuses on the integration, embodiment, and professional application of Somatic Movement Dance Therapy. Students are supported to bring their learning into the wider community by facilitating a community-based movement group and working with two individual clients within their geographical area. This provides opportunities to develop confidence, experience, and professional competence while widening access to somatic movement practices.
Throughout the year, students revisit, deepen, and synthesise knowledge from across the training pathway, exploring the understanding that health is not a fixed state to be achieved, but an ongoing process that can be supported and nurtured through embodied awareness, relationship, creativity, and daily self-regulatory practice.
Level 3 also supports the development of students as somatic movement artists, facilitators, and practitioners. Through supervised practice, reflective enquiry, community engagement, and continued experiential exploration, learning is revisited in cyclical and spiralling ways, allowing somatic wisdom to settle more deeply into the whole person and emerge with greater authenticity, skill, and confidence in practice.
The Level 3 Foundation Course in Somatic Movement Dance Therapy is a 300-hour accredited professional training — certified by the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine and in association with The Association for Somatic Movement Dance Therapies United Kingdom & Eire (UKSMDT). It is designed for qualified and experienced practitioners who have completed the 100-hour Foundation Course (or equivalent) and Level 2 100-hour Intermediate training (or equivalent), and who wish to refine their facilitation skills and expand their work into community and professional practice contexts.
Applied and adapted from the pioneering research and trainings of Dr. Amanda Williamson, founder of Somatic Movement Dance Therapy, and based on her book Somatic Movement Dance Therapy: The Healing Art of Self-Regulation & Co-Regulation.
CONTACT US
See What our Students are Saying
What is Somatic Movement Dance Therapy?
Somatic Movement Dance Therapy (SMDT), coined and developed by Dr Amanda Williamson, is a creative, body-led, bottom-up therapy, rooted in the field of Somatics.
It offers pathways for self-regulation and co-regulation through embodied awareness, creative movement, sensory experience, and relational presence. As a bottom-up approach, SMDT works with the body's innate capacity for adaptation, resilience, healing, and connection.
Rooted in the somatic arts, SMDT integrates Polyvagal theory, experiential anatomy, somatic psychology, cranial-sacral movement, eco-somatics, Jungian psychology, authentic movement, movement meditation, improvisation, art therapy, somatic touch, and embodied spiritual inquiry into a coherent and integrative framework for practice.
Recognised as a distinct professional discipline, SMDT creates conditions for health and supports practitioners to work with nervous system regulation, trauma recovery, embodied self-awareness, creativity, chronic stress, chronic pain, and the restoration of connection to self, others, nature, and the deeper dimensions of human experience.
Is This Course Right For You?
Level 3 forms Year 2 of the 500-hour Professional Somatic Movement Dance Therapy Training Pathway and is designed for students who have successfully completed Levels 1 and 2 (Year 1).
This level is particularly suited to those who:
- Wish to complete the 500-hour professional training pathway
- Are working towards the hours required to become eligible to apply for professional registration with the UKSMDT and recognition through ISMETA
- Are ready to bring their learning into community settings through group facilitation and supervised client work
- Wish to deepen their confidence, competence, and professional identity as Somatic Movement Dance Therapy practitioners
- Are committed to ongoing personal practice, reflective enquiry, supervision, and professional development
Level 3 requires a greater degree of independence, self-direction, and professional responsibility than previous levels. Students are expected to engage fully in supervised practice, facilitate a community movement group, work with individual clients, participate in peer support and supervision, and maintain a consistent personal practice throughout the year.
As the second year and final stage of the professional pathway, the emphasis shifts from learning and practising skills to integrating and applying them within real-world contexts. Students revisit and synthesise learning from across the training, allowing somatic knowledge, embodied wisdom, and professional competence to deepen through experience, reflection, community engagement, and practice.
Attendance at all live training sessions, supervision groups, community practice requirements, and assessment components is required. Recorded sessions may be provided as supplementary learning resources where appropriate but cannot replace required contact hours or supervised practice requirements.
CONTACT US
Somatic Movement Dance Therapy Training: A Professional Pathway to Registration
Level 3 is the final stage of the 500-hour Professional Somatic Movement Dance Therapy Training Pathway. Upon successful completion, students will have completed 300 accredited hours at Enhanced Practitioner Level and the full 500-hour professional training route.
Graduates receive a formally recognised qualification and IPHM certification, reflecting extended training in Somatic Movement Dance Therapy, supervised practice, community facilitation, and professional development.
Having successfully completed Levels 1, 2, and 3, graduates are eligible to apply for professional registration with UKSMDT and ISMETA, the leading UK and international regulatory bodies for somatic movement education and therapy.
The full pathway is structured in alignment with the professional registration requirements of both UKSMDT and ISMETA, including requirements for embodied learning, ethical practice, assessment, supervision, and hybrid delivery.
Course Structure & Modules
Level 3 is organised into two interrelated modules that support the transition into professional practice. Learning unfolds through a process of revisiting, integrating, applying, and embodying knowledge gained throughout Levels 1 and 2, allowing students to deepen their understanding through lived experience rather than linear accumulation.
The training combines live online learning, in-person intensive training, supervised community practice, personal practice, reading, and reflective study. This blended structure enables students to continue developing professionally while bringing their learning into real-world contexts within their own communities.
Across the entire full 500-hour Professional Somatic Movement Dance Therapy Training Pathway, approximately 30% of training hours are completed in person and approximately 70% are delivered through live, interactive online learning. This distribution sits comfortably within current mixed-format training guidelines recognised by both UKSMDT and ISMETA.
Module 1: Contemplative and Integrative Learning
Staff-led | Online & In-person | See 2028 Calendar Dates below
This module is an integrative module that revisits key areas offered in Level 1 and Level 2, with the aim of synthesising course content and layering knowledge. Students are required to attend one in-person seven-day intensive, in Cornwall, which forms the embodied heart of this module.
The module provides time to hone facilitation skills in key areas including:
- body–mind health
- movement meditations
- slow-time and community health
- gravity, breath, heart and earthing
- cranio-sacral movement
- somatic touch within clear ethical frameworks
- matrifocal spiritualities, principles, values and processes
- key dyadic and group facilitation skills
The module provides time for revisiting, layering, reflecting, contemplating and integrating somatic knowledge, allowing learning to settle through repeated embodied experience.
Delivery includes:
- live online training weekends
- one seven-day in-person residential intensive
The seven-day in-person training in Cornwall forms the embodied core of Module 1, offering sustained time for deepening presence, relational awareness, and facilitation capacity within a shared learning environment. (Accommodation and food are not included.)
Module 2: Slow-Time Community Health
Staff-led | Online & In-person | See 2028 Calendar Dates Below
Module 2 supports students to bring their learning into real-world practice contexts, facilitating somatic movement and dance therapy within their local communities and in private practice settings.
This module includes:
- a 100-hour Community & Practice component, completed locally
- live online supervision and integration weekends
- reflective documentation and practice-as-research
- preparation for final presentation and assessment in-person weekend
Students work with participants from their local communities, gathering reflective data and integrating learning from across Levels 1, 2 and Module 1 of Level 3.
Students will present their findings at the in-person weekend in Cornwall.
The Venue address for in-person training: Rosehip Barn, St Clether, Launceston PL15 8QN, UK
Final Assessment & International Student Access
The final in-person assessment weekend provides an opportunity for students to share and present their learning, reflective documentation, and practice-based findings within a witnessed and supported professional context. This long weekend forms part of the assessment and integration process for Level 3.
Time-zone note for international students
All live online training sessions are scheduled in UK time (GMT/BST). International students are responsible for attending live sessions in their local time zone. Where appropriate, recordings of online teaching sessions will be made available to support integration and review; however, live attendance is expected for all interactive and experiential components.
In-Person Venue Information & Dates
MODULE 1: In-Person 7-day Immersive Residential
Date: 13th-19th May 2028
MODULE 2: In-Person 3-day & Graduation & Presentation
Date: 20th-22th October 2028
Location: Rosehip Barn, St Clether, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 8QN
The seven-day residential intensive forms the embodied heart of Level 3 and provides a dedicated space for integration, advanced facilitation practice, supervision, assessment, and professional development.
Set within the wild landscape of North Cornwall, this immersive week invites students to revisit and synthesise learning from across Levels 1, 2, and Level 3, deepening their understanding through sustained embodied practice, relational learning, movement exploration, reflection, and community living.
Throughout the intensive, students will refine their facilitation skills, strengthen their professional identity, participate in supervised practice, and engage in assessment activities that support progression towards professional registration pathways. The residential also provides valuable opportunities for peer learning, witnessing, feedback, collaborative enquiry, and the further development of embodied presence as a practitioner.
As the experiential core of Module 1, the residential supports the integration of key themes including body–mind health, movement meditation, gravity, breath, heart and earthing, cranio-sacral movement, somatic touch, matrifocal values and principles, community health, and advanced facilitation skills.
Attendance at the seven-day intensive is a mandatory component of the training and forms an essential part of the in-person learning hours required within the 500-hour professional pathway.
(WE ADVISE BOOKING YOUR ACCOMMODATION WHEN YOU BOOK THE COURSE).
(Accommodation and meals are not included in the course fee. Details of nearby accommodation options will be shared on booking.)
BOOK THIS COURSE
Two Year Professional Pathway 2027 -2028 Calendar
Level 3 Year Dates
Module 1: Integration, Embodiment & Advanced Facilitation
Weekend 1 (Online)
11th–12th March 2028
Weekend 2 (Online)
8th–9th April 2028
Seven-Day Intensive (In-Person)
13th–19th May 2028
Weekend 3 (Online)
10th–11th June 2028
Module 2: Community Practice, Supervision & Professional Integration
Community & Practice Placement
June–September 2028
Weekend 4 (Online)
9th–10th September 2028
Weekend 5 (Online)
30th September–1st October 2028
Final Presentations, Assessment & Graduation (In-Person)
20th–22nd October 2028
Accreditation & Professional Recognition
The Level 3 Enhanced Practitioner Training is:
- Certified by the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM)
- Offered in association with The Association for Somatic Movement Dance Therapies UK & Éire (UKSMDT)
- Structured in alignment with UKSMDT and ISMETA's international guidelines for Somatic Movement Education and Therapy training
- The final stage of the 500-hour Professional Somatic Movement Dance Therapy Training Pathway
On successful completion, students receive a Certificate of Completion (300 hours, Level 3 Enhanced Practitioner Training in Somatic Movement Dance Therapy).
Together with Levels 1 and 2, this completes the full 500-hour professional training pathway and provides the training hours required to become eligible to apply for professional registration with UKSMDT and professional recognition through ISMETA.
COMPLETE YOUR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Meet Your Teacher & The Founder of the Somatic Movement Dance Therapy
Vanessa Tucker and Amanda Williamson set the intention to make Somatic Movement Dance Therapy more accessible, while maintaining a high professional standard.
In response to the growing demand for embodied, trauma-informed approaches, they recognised that most professional trainings span over two years and cost around £8,000 upwards, placing them out of reach for many. To address this, they developed a flexible three-level training pathway:
Level 1 (100 hours) be taken as a standalone course, or followed by Level 2 (100 hours) and Level 3 (300 hours), which completes the 500 hours required for professional registration. This structure ensures both accessibility and depth, making this vital work more available to those committed to healing and transformation in their communities.
Vanessa Tucker is a registered Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist (ISMETA) and a registered Somatic Movement Dance Therapist (UKSMDT) with over 30 years of experience in the healing arts. She created the 3 Level structure in Somatic Movement Dance Therapy, alongside Dr. Amanda Williamson, offering creative and transformative learning experiences for working with trauma, deepening practice, refining skills, reconnecting with the innate wisdom of the body and coming home to ourselves.
Through her courses, retreats, women's empowerment work and private healing practice, Vanessa has supported countless individuals on their journey toward health, wholeness and empowerment. Drawing from a rich background in expressive arts, education, psychology, theatre as therapy, meditation, energy healing, clinical hypnotherapy, NLP, therapeutic shamanism, trauma recovery, and somatic movement dance therapy, she brings an integrative and multidimensional approach to her healing, teaching and facilitation.
A lifelong artist of the soul, Vanessa is deeply devoted to the healing of the Earth and the awakening of the human spirit. Her work is rooted in a heartfelt commitment to meaningful healing, personal empowerment, and the creation of compassionate, interconnected communities—spaces where all of life is honoured, and every being has the chance to flourish.
Dr. Amanda Williamson is the founder of Somatic Movement Dance Therapy.
Amanda works with a wide range of people experiencing back pain, joint pain, grief, migraines, addiction, stress, anxiety and depression, as well as people with no specific conditions, but feeling isolated, low and disconnected.
She is one of the pioneers in the field of Somatic Movement Education & Therapy and works across continents supervising PhD. students. She is a ‘Master Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist’ (ISMETA) and registered ‘Somatic Movement Dance Therapist (UKSMDT).
Amanda publishes extensively through practice-as-research, traversing areas such as experiential anatomy and physiology, the spiritual elements in the healing process, socio-cultural theory. Amanda is an Honorary Professor at ‘The Centre for Dance Research (C-dare).
Her most recent book, of which this course is based upon, is Somatic Movement Dance Therapy: The Healing Art of Self-regulation and Co-regulation, Intellect.
Teaching Fees/Exchange/Investment
Year 1: Professional Training Pathway 2027 (Levels 1 & 2 200 Hours)
- £1,895 when booked together
- Secure your place with a £495 non-refundable deposit
For students wishing to commit to Year 1 of the professional training pathway, Level 1 (foundation) and Level 2 (intermediate) can be booked together at a reduced fee. This option provides a seamless progression through the Foundation and Intermediate stages of Somatic Movement Dance Therapy training, supporting the development of embodied knowledge, facilitation skills, and professional practice over 200 hours of study.
By securing both levels in advance, students benefit from continuity of learning, a cohesive training journey, and a saving compared to booking each level separately.
The Year 1 Professional Pathway fees for 2027 include:
- All live online Zoom training sessions for Levels 1 & 2 2027
- The full 7-day in-person training at Rosehip Barn, Cornwall for Levels 1 & 2 2027
- Detailed course notes and reading materials for Levels 1 & 2 2027
- Access to the SMDT online learning community
- Certificate of Completion (200 hours, IPHM certified) for Levels 1 & 2
Accommodation and meals during the Cornwall intensives are not included. Details of local accommodation options are provided on booking
BOOK THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINNG PATHWAY YEAR 1
Cancellations & Instalments
Instalments: Payment by instalment may be available upon request. A non-refundable deposit secures your place on the course. All instalments must be paid in full prior to the commencement of the course.
Course Cancellations: No refunds are given under any circumstances. If a student cancels a course within 21 days of the course start date they can either:
- Transfer their place to a colleague, provided they meet any course prerequisites and the transfer is approved by The Centre for Somatic & Healing Arts.
- Request a transfer to a future course of the same programme, subject to availability and at the discretion of The Centre for Somatic & Healing Arts.
All in-person courses require a sufficient number to run. In the unlikely event that a course is cancelled by The Centre for Somatic & Healing Arts due to insufficient numbers or circumstances beyond our control, participants will be offered either:
- A full refund; or
- A transfer to an alternative course date.
Year 2 :Professional Training Pathway 2028 (Level 3 300 Hours)
Early Bird: £2,395 (available until 1st September 2027)
Full Fee: £2,695
Secure your place with a £495 non-refundable deposit
Level 3 forms Year 2 of the 500-hour Professional Somatic Movement Dance Therapy Training Pathway and represents the final stage of professional training before applying for registration pathways with UKSMDT and ISMETA.
The Level 3 fees include:
- All live online training weekends throughout 2028
- The full seven-day in-person training at Rosehip Barn, Cornwall
- The final three-day in-person assessment, presentation, and graduation weekend
- Ongoing supervision and integration sessions
- Access to the SMDT online learning community
- Detailed course notes, reading materials, and learning resources
- Certificate of Completion (300 hours, IPHM certified) upon successful completion
Please Note: Accommodation and meals during the Cornwall intensives are not included. Details of local accommodation options are provided on booking
BOOK THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINNG PATHWAY YEAR 2
Explore the Professional Pathway Route in Somatic Movement Dance Therapy
